Immortals
by thesituation016
Summary: With Cheshire gone in order to stay with Bucky while he recovers and adapts to his freedom Taylor took it upon herself to stay with Steve in her absence which means becoming an Avenger as well. With her teachers approval she sets out with the worlds greatest heroes to save the day.
1. Chapter 1

Barton and Romanoff were in a supped up jeep, Barton laying down cover fire for the rest of the team from the passenger side seat while Romanoff drove like a mad person. Tony swopped in on their other side shooting back some HYDRA agents as they closed in on the large base. Thor took out one of the enemy jeeps then moved onto a lookout tower using his hammer to smash all in his path.

Taylor swooped through the air, using her control over fire to propel her through the air. She thrust her left hand forward freezing the legs of the tower until they became brittle just as Thor jumped off, sending it plummeting to the ground.

She wore a black hooded high-necked long sleeved top that reached down stopping mid-thigh with gold pipping accents, a gold sash, a pair of elbow length black gloves, and a pair of black tights that tucked into a pair of calf high black boots.

Steve shot past her on his motorcycle dragging a man before throwing him into another man then tossing his shield taking out some more.

The Hulk was also out in full force throwing tank jeeps left and right, their attacks having no effect on the green beast. They came to a barrier forcing Clint and Natasha to abandon their jeep, all of them leaping forward over the barrier before continuing their onslaught. Tony pulled away from the others going for the HYDRA base only to hit a force field hard.

"Shit!" Tony snapped.

"Language." Steve admonished him before he could stop himself. "JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?"

"The central building is protects by some kind of energy shield." JARVIS replied from the ship. "Strukers technology is well beyond any other HYDRA base you have taken."

"Loki's scepter must be here." Thor said as he fought. "Strucker couldn't mount his defense without it. At long last."

"At long last is lasting a little long." Natasha commented as she fought.

"Then let's speed things up." Taylor called out as she landed on the ground. She summoned a spells over her hands throwing herself into the battle slicing through the enemy lines.

"I think we lost the element of surprise." Clint said as he blew up a bunker.

"I didn't know we ever had it." Taylor commented blocking a round of enemy fire.

"Wait, no one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said language?" Tony asked.

"I know." Steve groaned out as he charged a jeep then flipped his bike sending into said jeep and landing perfectly safe on the ground. "It just slipped out."

Barton tried to take out another base, but his arrows were stopped, then out of nowhere he was hit to the ground.

"You didn't see that coming?" The silver haired boy smirked before speeding off. Clint stood to his feet only to get shot down again.

"Clint!" Natasha ran for him while Steve had his own run in with the speedster.

"We have an enhanced on the field." Steve said just as Taylor came face to face with said enhanced. She attacked him as best she could, but he dodged her fire and ice attacks.

"Would…you…hold…still?!" Taylor snapped with each blast.

"Usually I would do anything for such a lovely lady, but this is war after all." The boy smirked as he grabbed her swinging her around then releasing her causing her to skid along the ground. Pietro raced after her watching in interest as she brought up her hands deflecting his attack with one of her spell walls. "That is a neat trick."

"Wait till you see my next one handsome." Taylor said with a wink.

She dodged to the side as she formed a fire ball in her right hand. He took off, but her assault with fire was just a distraction for the snow turning to ice under his feet. He slipped hard, his momentum throwing him to the ground, skidding along straight into a tree. He recovered quickly though and raced up to her grabbing her cuffs.

"This is nice, I think I will keep it." He grinned as he tossed them from hand to hand.

"I'd give them back if I were you." Taylor cautioned him with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Why would I do that? It is clear this is where you get your abilities from, they light up whenever you use them. No bracelets no powers." He grinned back then let out a yelp when the bracelets lit up. Ignis burning his hand and glacium freezing the other. He stumbled back dropping them allowing them to shoot back to Taylor wrapping back around her wrists.

"That's why. They don't like anyone else to touch them." Taylor let out a bust of fire forcing him further back.

"That's not going to stop me. I don't give up that easily." He replied as their fight continued, Taylor getting forced back.

With a sly look she held out her hands and performed a strange series of moves as he went in for another attack, but she wasn't there and for the first time he wasn't fast enough. There was a strange sound like breaking glass to his left that gained his attention.

Glancing to his left he saw a strange round symbol of light before it hit him hard and he went crashing through the trees landing harder on his back, his breath leaving his lungs in a breathy wheeze. He quickly recovered stumbling to his feet and then taking off again. Taylor quickly took a defensive stance, a spell over each hand, getting ready for an attack that didn't come much to her confusion.

"Clint's hit." Natasha called out kneeling down next to Clint and applying first aid. "Anyone want to deal with that bunker?" The Hulk slammed into it. "Thank you."

"I'm on my way." Taylor gave one last look around herself before she ran for them, using her fire to shoot up into the air and her spells to keep blasts at bay.

"Stark, we really need to get inside." Steve said.

"I'm closing in." Tony replied taking out more men with his repulsers. "JARVIS am I closing in? You see a power source for that shield."

"There's a path way below the north tower." JARVIS replied.

"Great, I want to poke it with something." Stark said flying in, then sending in a missile that drilled into the ground taking out the power source and the shield. "Drawbridge is lowered people."

Thor came down from the sky slamming his hammer into the ground taking out all of those around him as Steve ran up to him.

"Enhanced?" Thor looked to Steve.

"Of all the new players we've faced I've never seen this." Steve said shaking his head. "In fact I still haven't."

"Do you think its mutants?" Taylor asked over the comms as she ran over Natasha and Clint, dodging the enemy as they went.

"I don't know, there's no telling with HYDRA." Steve replied, blocking returning fire.

"Clint's hit pretty bad guys." Natasha said over the comms. "We're going to need evac."

"I'm on it." Taylor said as she sent out a wave of spiked ice forcing the soldiers back.

"It's like they're lining up." Thor noticed the men coming at them.

"Well they're excited." Steve said raising his shield as Thor brought his hammer down on it at the same time knocking all of the men back along with the tank.

"I need some cover to get Clint out of here." Taylor called out.

"Find the scepter." Thor said before he swung his hammer and took off into the air. "I'm on my way!"

"Taylor, what's the situation with Clint?" Steve asked as he ducked under more enemy fire.

"I got him, taking him to the ship now." Taylor replied as she slipped on her sling ring and moving her hand in a circle formed a portal to the ship while Natasha and Thor kept the soldiers at bay. Taylor hefted Clint up and half dragged him to the ship, closing the portal behind her.

"And for gosh sakes, watch your language." Stark said teasingly over the comms.

"That's not going away anytime soon." Steve muttered before he took off into battle again, finishing it soon after.

"Nope." Taylor laughed over the comm as she got Clint settled into one of the beds and started to take care of his injury. Over time she had become the triage doctor for the team, having learned of medicine from the mysterious school she had yet to tell any of them about.

"How's Clint?" Steve asked, pushing on.

"He'll be fine." Taylor assured him, spreading a purple cream over his wound before bandaging it. "Right Robin Hood?"

"Fine? I got shot…right there…and it hurts…." Clint groaned out sarcastically.

"See, fine, a little whiney, but fine." Taylor smiled brightly securing the bandage. "How are things on your end?"

"We're locked down out here." Natasha said as the HYDRA soldiers were rounded up by Starks sentries.

"Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby." Steve said to Natasha.

-0-

Tony blasted into the lab where he was immediately besieged by gun fire. He hovered in the window he had come through while the bullets bounced off of him with no harm what so ever.

"Guys stop, we got to talk this through." Tony said as the small rockets on his shoulders fired, each one taking out one man. "It was a good talk."

"No it wasn't." Someone groaned out. He moved into the building taking out a man on a computer before stepping out of his armor.

"Sentry mode." Tony ordered and his suit went on stand by watching his back then plugged his phone into the computer. "Ok JARVIS, you know, I want it all. Make sure you copy it to HQ."

Tony started to look around the room, taking in the limited technology with a skeptical eye.

"Hey J, give me an IR scan of the room." Tony ordered and the suit scanned everything around them.

"The wall to your left, I'm reading steel reinforcement and an air current." JARVIS said as Tony walked over to the wall.

"Please be a secret door…" Tony chanted pressing against the wall which slid open allowing him to walk inside the long dark tunnel. "Yay!"

-0-

Natasha made her way through the sparse forest following the sounds of the Hulk who was still on a rampage. She soon found him and cautiously walked up to the Hulk who was still tearing apart a tank with vicious angry noises.

"Hey big guy." Natasha gained his attention. "Then sun's gettin' real low."

Natasha crouched down as the Hulk growled, her gloves were off. She held up her hand and the Hulk reluctantly approached. They held their palms up facing each other, then Natasha turned her hand over palm up, the Hulks resting in hers also palm up. She then ran her hand along the inside of his wrist, down over his palm, then to the tip of his finger. The Hulk stumbled back as the effects of their trick took hold and he turned back into Bruce Banner.

-0-

Steve cautiously entered the large castle like building easily overcoming any who came at them. The last soldier Steve struck back causing the man to fall in front of the Baron himself, a severe self-centered looking man.

"Baron Strucker." Steve eyed the man. "HYDRA's number one thug."

"Well technically I'm a thug for SHIELD." Strucker said.

"Well technically you're un-employed." Steve pointed out. "Where's Loki's Scepter?"

"Don't worry, I know when I'm beat." Strucker said. "You'll mention how a cooperated of course."

"I'll put it right under illegal human experimentation." Steve replied sarcastically. "How many are there?"

Suddenly a girl stepped out of the shadows sending out a pulse of red light that sent Steve hurtling down some stairs before she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

"We got a female psychic enhanced, do not engage." Steve rushed back up the stairs.

"You have to be faster than…" Baron never got the chance to finish when Steve kicked up his shield from where he had dropped it smacking Strucker in the face sending him to the ground hard, his monocle breaking.

"Guys, we got Strucker." Steve informed the others.

"Yes, I got something…bigger." Tony said over the comms.

"Be careful Stark." Steve cautioned.

"Roger Rogers." Tony replied.

-0-

"Yes, I got something…bigger." Tony said as he came to the end of the hall that let out into a large room that housed a leviathan.

"Be careful Stark." Steve cautioned.

"Roger Rogers." Tony replied. He walked through the room observing the tables with machines from the alien invasion laid out on them, then he saw it, but not what was following him. "Thor, I think I got eyes on the prize."

He didn't see the girl as she came up behind him, her hands moving around his head allowing a red light to enter into his skull. His eyes flashed red before he shook his head and the girl slipped away. He glanced around then up when suddenly the leviathan came to life, the world shifting around him to that of space.

He stood upon an asteroid drifting before the very alien forces home base that he had destroyed with the nuke. Laid out all over the asteroid before him were the Avengers, all of them dead, Steve's shield cracked straight down the middle with Steve lying next to it. He was about to rush to the Captain's side, but then he saw her.

Vanessa was laid out her eyes wide and unseeing starring straight up, her mouth opened wide in a silent scream twisting her face into a mask of terror and pain. She was a mess of nightmarish wounds from head to toe, her uniform in tatters, and covered in so much blood that it was flowing from her in tiny rivulets pooling around his feet.

"Vanessa!" He ran to her side with an anguished cry gathering up his baby girl in his arms rocking her back and forth.

Her blood now soaking through his shirt, onto his arms, his hands, and staining his skin. Suddenly her eyes snapped to him and her hand cupped the side of his face leaving a bloody hands print. Tony could only gasp out breaths unable to look away from her eyes, struggling not to scream for more reasons than one.

"Dad, you…could have….saved us." Vanessa gasped out before her head lulled back, her disembodied voice drifting around him. "Why didn't you do more?"

He tore his eyes away from his daughter looking up to see the alien armada moving unhindered through the portal to earth. Then, like waking up from a nightmare, everything disappeared and he was back in the base. He looked around completely shaken by what he had seen looking down at his blood free hands, but still able to see it all within his mind's eye. He shot to his feet as he reached out his hand calling his armored arm to him, pushing everything into the back of his mind. He reached through the shield and grabbed the scepter as the twins watched him staying back in the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone moved about the jet, Steve and Thor making sure that the scepter was secure while Bruce was listening to his music to calm back down. Taylor had hooked Clint up to an IV and knocked him out, trying to keep him out of pain as best she could. Natasha had a brief word with Taylor, checking up on Barton, before moving onto Bruce sitting down in front of him. Looking up he took off the headphones.

"The lullaby worked better than ever." Natasha said.

"Wasn't expecting a code green." Bruce said uncomfortably.

"If you hadn't been there, there would have been double casualties." Natasha pointed out. "My best friend would have been a treasured memory."

"You know sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear." Bruce said with a grimace.

"How long before you trust me?" Natasha asked.

"It's not you I don't trust." Bruce replied.

"Thor report on the Hulk." Natasha said.

"The gates of hel are filled with the screams of his victims." Thor smiled proudly. Bruce groaned burying his head in his hands as Natasha shot Thor a hard look. "But not the screams of the dead of course, wounded screams maybe whimpering, complaining, tails of sprained deltoids…and gout."

"Gout? Really Thor?" Taylor questioned with a raised eyebrow and shaking her head before looking to Banner. "No one was killed by the Hulk or as a result of the Hulk." Natasha sent her a thankful nod while Bruce took in a breath calming down much more. Taylor nodded back as she reached down into a bag next to her seat pulling out some colorful yarn and her knitting needles. She had taken up knitting as a way to calm down after battles and had quite the assortment of knitted goods. "No worries Banner."

"Hey Banner, Dr. Cho is on her way from Soul, is it ok if she set up in your lab?" Tony asked from the pilot's seat.

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around." Bruce nodded.

"Thanks, tell her to prep everything, Barton's going to need the full treatment." Tony said.

"Very good sir." JARVIS replied.

"JARVIS, take the wheel." Tony said as his seat moved back.

"Yes sir." JARVIS replied. "Approach vector in locked."

"Feels good." Tony said looking over to the scepter then looked to Thor. "You've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed, not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties."

"No, but this…this brings it to a close." Thor said.

"As soon as we find out what else it's been used for." Steve said with a dark look. "And I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement."

"It wouldn't be that hard really. With most humans carrying dormant mutant genes from what Cheshire told me, he'd just have to find a way of jump starting them." Taylor commented as she eyed the scepter. "I guess the scepter was the key to unlocking them."

"Maybe…" Tony commented. "Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard." Tony said to them, looking to Thor. "Is that ok with you? Just a few days and a farewell party. You're staying right?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Thor replied with a smile. "A victory should be honored with revels."

"Yeah, who doesn't love revels? Captain?" Tony looked to Steve.

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chituri and HYDRA." Steve replied then smiled. "Yes, revels."

-0-

The jet came in for a landing at Avengers tower and the medical team came in taking Barton away while Maria entered the jet. The majority of the team exited the Jet as well eager for some rest and relaxation after all of their hard work.

"Labs all set up boss." Maria informed Tony.

"Actually he's the boss." Tony gestured to Steve who was talking to Taylor. "I just pay for everything and design everything and make everyone look cooler."

"So basically you are the equivalent of the Producer, make-up artist, and costume designer." Taylor smarted off.

"Did I ask for nut shelling?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"No charge." Taylor winked.

"What's the word on Strucker?" Steve asked Maria as he and Alice joined her.

"NATO's got them." Maria answered.

"The two enhanced?" Steve asked as they moved out of the ship.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, twins, orphaned when a shell collapsed their apartment building." Maria showed him images of the twins and the building on her pad. "Sakovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everywhere special."

"Their abilities?" Steve asked.

"He's got increased metabolism and improved homeo-stasis and her thing neuro-electric interfacing, telekinesis, Mental manipulation." Maria listed off and Taylor took note of Steve's confused look.

"Basically he's really fast and she's weird." Taylor told him and he made an 'oh' face as he nodded.

"Well they're going to show up again." Steve said handing the pad back to Maria.

"Agreed." Maria nodded. "File says they volunteered for Struckers experiments." Maria commented. "It's nuts."

"Right, what kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country." Steve said as he and Taylor walked into the elevator punching in their floor.

"We're not at war Captain." Maria replied.

"They are." Steve replied as the doors shut.

-0-

Tony walked out onto the balcony bracing himself against the railing as he looked over the city, his vision coming back into his mind. He took a couple of deep breaths before pulling out his phone and dialing rapidly. Every ring of the phone caused him to tense, waiting for an answer.

"Hi gramps!" Rhea answered the phone, and Tony felt relief flood over him.

"Hello Rhea, how's my favorite mechanic?" Tony replied, making sure he sounded happy.

"She is awesome. I made a wind up dancing ballerina out of clockwork parts, very popular amongst the kids here." Rhea replied telling him all about the toy ballerina she had made that actually danced for her. "And I crashed one of the hover boats I upgraded. Apparently they can't take the speed…yet, I'm working on it."

"That's my brilliant girl." Tony smiled.

"Yes, yes I am. Hey, I finally got dad to agree to let me go to high school on earth next year." Rhea said happily and Tony was once again blow away by how fast she was growing up.

"That sounds great." Tony replied. "You're mom made him didn't she?"

"Yep." Rhea nodded.

"Speaking of your mom, where is she?" Tony asked leaning against the railing.

"She's in the garden with pops, I'll take her the phone." Rhea said making her way down the hall, weaving between people as she did.

"Who's on the phone sweetheart?" He heard the voice of Loki ask.

"It's grandpa, he wants to talk to mom." Rhea replied.

"Oh…" Vanessa took the phone.

"Rhea, come play with us!" Some of Volstaggs children came over to her pulling them into their game.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Tony took in a breath, just hearing her voice filled him with ease. "Dad…are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just…wanted to see when you could come to visit again." Tony replied.

"Next week actually, we have to go to Vanahiem for diplomatic reasons then we're coming in for a visit." Vanessa answered, still sounding concerned. "Dad…"

"That's great kid, so I'll see you next week, we'll take Rhea to Disney World or Disney Land, maybe even both." Tony cut her off, not wanting her to worry. "See you then. Give my love to Rhea and tell Loki how lucky he is, bye kid."

Tony hung up quickly before she could say anything, taking a deep breath and gathering himself. He slipped back into his cocky attitude before heading back inside to go see how Barton was coming along. Vanessa looked down at the phone in her hand in concern after her father had hung up so abruptly.

"Love?" Loki took her hand. "What's wrong?"

"Dad was just acting strange." Vanessa said in concern. "Well more than usual anyway."

"I'm sure he's fine." Loki comforted her wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they watched Rhea playing with the children.

"I hope so." Vanessa said as she leaned into Loki with a sigh.

-0-

Taylor wondered up to the medical room looking through the glass floor as the crowd control robots came in for repairs. She took note of the damage they had suffered with a thoughtful look. Obviously they had been less than well received by the people they were trying to help. Bruce entered the room across from her looking down at a pad while Stark was coming down a set of stairs.

"How's he doing?" Bruce looked to Stark.

"Unfortunately he's still Barton." Tony replied.

"That's terrible." Bruce said seriously.

"That poor man." Taylor shook her head with a pitying look.

"He's fine, he's thirsty." Stark went on.

"I'm on it." Taylor held up a tray of drinks in her hand as she started up the stairs leaving the science bros to their work. She found Barton lay out on a table with a machine buzzing around him repairing his skin almost instantly. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Barton took the drink taking a long pull through the straw.

"Sure he's going to be ok?" Natasha asked as she leaned over looking into the machine. "I'm telling you this guy really brings the team together."

"Yeah, what's a team without its mascot?" Taylor said teasingly getting a dry look from the archer.

"There's no possibility of deterioration." Cho told her as she looked over the readings. "The nano-molecular-functionality is instantaneous." Cho walked over to the machine as Bruce walked in. "His cells don't know they're bonding with plastic."

"She's creating tissue." Bruce said in amazement while Taylor looked on in wonder.

"This is brilliant." Taylor said as she watched the machine work, the tissue appearing on Barton right before her eyes.

"Thanks." Barton smirked, flexing his muscles.

"It's even recreating the flabby parts." Taylor went on, shooting him a smirk of her own.

"Cute, real cute." Barton rolled his eyes.

"If you brought him to my lab the regeneration cradle could do this in twenty minutes." Cho told them impressing Taylor even more.

"Oh he's flat lining, call it." Tony said as he walked in with some more drinks.

"No, no, no, I'm going to live forever." Barton corrected him sarcastically. "I'll be made of plastic."

"Clint Barton, codename Ken." Taylor commented.

"You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton, your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference." Cho assured him.

"Well I don't have a girlfriend." Barton replied.

"That I can't fix." Cho said before picking up her pad. "This is the next step Tony, your clunky metal suits will be left in the dust."

"Well, that is exactly the plan." Tony replied. "And Hill and I expect to see you at the party this Saturday."

"Unlike you, I don't have a lot of time for parties." Cho said loftily as she turned back to her pad. "Will Thor be there?"

The Avengers all looked around at each other, eyebrows shooting up at the doctor's comment, although Tony seemed more amused than anything else.

-0-

"You're doing great." Taylor commented as she and Steve moved around the room in a simple waltz. Taylor was by no means a dancer, but when compared to Steve she was an expert so together they had been learning simple dances. He had commented that he wanted to learn how and Taylor had offered to help him along.

"Thanks." Steve grinned glancing down at his feet.

"Hey, eyes front soldier." Taylor teased causing Steve to look back up at her with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, it's hard not to. I'm afraid I'll step on your toes…again." Steve replied.

"Don't worry about it." Taylor reassured him, though wincing slightly in remembrance of having to soak her swollen feet the first time they had practiced. In the beginning there had been many a mishap on both of their parts ending in someone hoping on one foot cradling the other. "Do you want to try the spin again?"

"Maybe just a simple dip?" Steve offered and Taylor nodded. Steve moved her around the box step one more time before lowering her into a gentle dip.

'Please don't drop me, please don't drop me, please don't drop me….' Taylor chanted in her head.

"You going to bring her up anytime soon?" Tony questioned as he walked in causing Steve to startle letting go of Taylor who landed on the carpeted floor with a thud.

"Ow!" Taylor complained.

"Taylor I am so sorry." Steve helped her up shooting Tony who was at his bar a dirty look.

"It's fine." Taylor grumbled also giving Tony a look.

"Hey, no looks, not only is this my tower, but you're in the shared living room." Tony defended himself as he poured a drink.

"Unfortunately he has a point." Taylor sighed. "So how are things coming with the scepter?"

"Slowly." Tony rubbed his face as he launched into a long scientific explanation of why it was going slowly only to stop short when he saw the blank stares from the Captain and Taylor. "It's just…really hard…."

"Ok, that I got." Taylor nodded as Tony groaned.

"I'm going back to Bruce, he understands me." Tony said before making a dramatic exit.

"I think we've practiced dancing enough for today." Steve said as Taylor rubbed her back where she had hit the ground. She was still sore from her encounter with the speedster.

"Good idea." Taylor plopped down on the couch in front of the large TV. "How about some movies?

"Sounds good." Steve nodded and at Taylor's request Jarvis queued up Ghost Busters for them to watch, Taylor taking up her knitting again. By the end of the movie Steve was decked out in a blue knit cap and scarf with some iron man socks on the way at Tony's request. The team had already become use to her knitting ways and all had quite the collection of her creations.


	3. Chapter 3

Taylor made her way through the party stopping every once and a while to talk with some of the guests. When she had made their first appearance as the newest members of the Avengers she had been escalated to stardom status. It was a lot to get used to, but with their fellow Avengers it was quite a lot of fun as well.

At first her teacher had not been too happy about it, but cold see the need and knew it was for the best. She cautioned Taylor against revealing too much of herself and where she had learned her abilities from to which Taylor agreed. She had also commented on the codename given to her by the media with some amusement. The Mage that was what they called her and it would not have been Taylor's first choice.

Taylor let out a low whistle as she looked out over the massive crowd then grinned. She smoothed out her maroon tunic dress that ended just above her knees with spaghetti straps and off the shoulder quarter length loose sleeves. She wore a long turquoise pendant hanging from a long silver chain sparsely decorated with small turquoise beads and chips, bronze and copper bangle bracelets on her right wrist, her ever present cuff bracelets, bronze and teal feather earrings that reached down to her neck, and a pair of brown cowgirl boots with turquoise stitching.

She walked out onto the dance floor and started to move weaving through the crowd never staying with one dance partner for long, though a few tried to keep her interest, they had no luck. She spotted Steve and Sam playing pool and decided to take a break, making her way toward them. She made it up to the pool table just as Sam sunk another shot.

"Oh, come back, come back." Sam called out as Steve watched him in amusement.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Taylor asked.

"Best I've been to since the last one he threw two weeks ago." Steve shrugged.

"Uh oh, come to ruin my winning streak for your friend huh?" Sam teased.

"Of course not, I believe in complete fair play and I'll have you know that you're my friend as well." Taylor replied as Sam went to line up another shot. "On your left." Sam scratched and shot Taylor a playful glare while she put on her best innocent face. "What?"

"Oh yeah, completely fair." Sam muttered as Steve chuckled.

They finished up the game, Sam managing to recover from his scratch and pull out another win then they handed the table over to another set of players. Sam started to invasively complain about not being brought in on the fight and Steve was placating him.

"If I had known it was going to be a fire fight I absolutely would have called." Steve said as they walked up the stairs.

"Listen, I'm not actually sorry, I'm just trying to sound tough. I am very happy chasing cold leads on our missing person's case." Sam replied, obviously a bit annoyed at his lack of finds and not being in the action.

"I'm sorry Sam, I didn't know she'd bolt and go off grid like that." Taylor said with a wince, feeling guilty about the whole thing as well as a bit hurt that Cheshire hadn't been in contact with her.

"I know and it's fine. Avenging is the world for you two." Same said as they came to the landing looking out over the party. "And your world is crazy."

"Be it ever so humble." Steve commented.

"You find a place in Brooklyn yet?" Sam asked.

"I don't think I can afford a place in Brooklyn." Steve replied.

"Well home is home, you know." Sam said with a shrug as Taylor excused herself back out to the dance floor.

-0-

Taylor moved through the dancing crowd with her hands raised above her swaying to the music. She along with the other dancers laughed as they started to pull of their more ridiculous moves, just having a great time not trying to impress anyone. In need of some water Taylor stepped out of the dancing crowd grabbing a water bottle before walking around looking for interesting conversation.

Taylor sat down on a couch with a large group of people as they listened to War Machines story and also giving her feet a rest. She leaned back sipping on her drink looking to the crowd more than Rhodey, watching their reactions in amusement.

"I fly it right up to the general's palace and I drop it at his feet. I'm like boom, you looking for this?" Rhodey finished up and everyone laughed sharing a fist bump with a guy next to him.

Taylor shook her head, more in amusement at the man than the story and exchanged pleasantries with a few other people before she got up and walked over to where Thor and Steve were standing along with some elderly veterans.

"I got to have some of that." One of the men commented as Thor poured a drink from his personal flask.

"Oh no, no, no, no…you see this was aged for a thousand years." Thor said handing the drink to Steve who eyed it before taking a tentative sniff. "In barrels built from the wreck of Braunhils fleet. It is not meant for mortal men."

"Neither was Omaha beach blondie." Another veteran scoffed then gestured for a drink. "Now stop trying to scare us."

"Alright." Thor handed him a drink which he threw back then looked to the others with a self-satisfied smirk before he stiffened up and started to fall off of his stool. Moments later two men were carrying him out of the room.

"Excelsior." He said with a drunken smile.

"Will he be ok?" Taylor asked Thor.

"I believe so, but he will not be envied for the headache he will receive in the morning." Thor said empathically.

"So Thor, how about a dance?" Taylor asked, she wanted to see what Thor looked like dancing to earth music, it could be entertaining.

"I have never danced to music of this realm." Thor commented.

"There's nothing to it." Taylor grabbed his hand pulling him onto the dance floor. Taylor raised her hands and started to move to the sounds of the upbeat music, Thor mimicking her movements as best he could. He looked a bit self-consciously at the other dancers, feeling very out of place. "Ignore them, dancing is for fun, not to look good." Taylor threw out some more ridiculous moves causing Thor to grin as he followed her movement, the people around them joining in for a good time. "There you go, just have fun!"

-0-

The party was over and Avengers were settled in with their Chinese food and drinks in the lounge of the Avengers tower. They were all pretty tired out from said party, especially Taylor who had danced most of the night with Thor who had amazing endurance. They were just finishing up their meal when they decided to play the game 'Who Can Lift Mjolnir?'

"Whosoever, be he worthy, shall have the power", whatever man! It's a trick!" Clint called out.

"It is more than that, my friend!" Thor smirked then gestured to where his hammer rested on the coffee table. "Be my guest."

"Really?" Clint looked to him and Thor nodded. Clint hopped up making his way over to the hammer.

"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against ya if you can't get it up." Tony commented.

"You know I've seen this before." Clint said before he gripped the hammer and pulled to no avail. He tried again and started to chuckle a little. "I can't do it."

"Don't want this to sound like judgment." Tony said.

"By all means, Stark please." Clint gestured to him.

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." Tony stood up smugly and walked over to Mjolnir, popping the button of his jacket so it was hanging open. "If I lift it, do I get to rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course." Thor agreed.

"I will be reinstituting prima nocta." Tony said as he gripped the handle pulled and then…nothing happened. He really started in on it, trying to get it to move, taking it from different angles all with the same result.

"Don't strain something you might need later old man." Taylor commented with a smirk, more than happy to get her jibs in after the rookie cards Stark had pulled on her. Tony shot her a look as he took a step back and cleared his throat.

"I'll be right back." He said and darted off to the elevator and soon came back with his hand repulsor which also failed him, but the best attempt was when Rhodey and Tony teamed up to outsmart Mjolnir.

"Are we even pulling?" Rhodey demanded.

"Are you on my team?" Tony shot back.

"Just represent, pull." Rhodey snapped, but nothing happened.

Bruce tried next pulling, but released raising his hands while still roaring getting many strange looks in return. After him, Steve had his turn to tug at the hammer and Thor noticed a slight movement, his face was enveloped in shock before falling in relief when Steve to was unable to move it more.

"Natasha." Bruce gestured to Natasha.

"Oh no, that is not a question that I need answered." She shook her head and declined the embarrassment.

"Why don't we give the rookie a chance?" Tony said then looked to Taylor. "Come on Voo Doo, what do you say?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot Home Depot." Taylor smiled making Tony roll his eyes. She moved her hands around and symbols formed around her upper arms like bracelets as well as surrounding the hammer.

"What's that?" Rhodey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Symbols of strength." Taylor smiled as she gripped the hammer and pulled. She grit her teeth and pulled again, but nothing happened. "Ok, let's try this…" She formed another series of spells, this time around the hammer and she pulled with all her might with no success. "Nope, not happening.

"To bad Samantha, nice light show though." Tony teased.

"Can it motor mouth." Taylor rolled her eyes flopping back onto the couch.

"It's a trick." Clint called out.

"No difference to the man who would be king, but it's rigged." Tony scoffed.

"You bet your ass." Clint said.

"Steve, he said a bad language word." Maria called out.

"Did you tell everybody about that?" Steve looked over at Tony.

"The handles imprinted, like a security word. It's biometrics, right? Like a security code? "Whoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints" is, I think, the literal translation." Tony said, unwilling to think he failed at anything.

"Yes, well that's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one: You are not worthy." Thor stated matter-of-factly as he picked up his hammer. There was an eruption of friendly disagreement between them all at his words.

There was a very sudden high-pitched ringing that engulfed the noisy room. It sounded like static feedback one would receive from a microphone – only amplified, everyone wincing in pain as it cut through their heads as the lights flickered. Somewhere in the distance, the scraping of metal and wires dragging could be heard getting closer and closer, the sound was combined with mechanical whirring and heavy footsteps.

"... worthy... No... How could you be worthy? You're all killers." A voice ground out, distorted. All of the Avengers stood to their feet, tense and ready for whatever was about to happen.

"What chewed you up and spat you back out?" Taylor commented lowly, her hand moving up to Colubra.

"Stark." Steve looked to the genius.

"JARVIS." Tony said uncertainly.

"Sorry I was asleep... Or... I was a dream..." From the dark, an incomplete suit of armor emerged. It limped its way into the room, the fading paint and Avengers logo on the chest plate of the armor.

"Reboot, we got a buggy suit." Tony tapped against his phone.

"...There was a terrible noise... And I was tangled in... in... strings." The robot looked himself over. "... I had to kill the other guy... He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve questioned.

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices." The mash up replied.

"Who sent you?" Thor demanded, his hammer held aloft in his hand.

""I see a suit of armor around the world"." The robot replayed Tony's voice.

"Ultron!" Banner said in realization.

"In the flesh." Ultron replied the gestured to himself, looking himself over. "Or, no, not yet. Not this... chrysalis... But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?" Natasha asked.

"Peace in our time." Ultron replied and bursting through the walls came multiple suits sending the Avengers into action.

Maria drew a gun opening fire while Thor swung his hammer with all of his might. Taylor started formed her spells on each hand fending off attacks before taking off into the air with the aid of her fire, freezing and melting any of the robots that came near her.

One of the robots grabbed the staff and ran off as Romanoff opened fire from the bar. Steve jumped onto the back of one of the robots only for it to use its thrusters slamming him into a wall hard. Tony jumped on the back of the robot as soon as Steve fell from it jabbing it in the neck trying to break it.

Thor smashed one of the robots apart throwing it down a level, but it managed to stay operational raising itself up spotting Dr. Cho. It raised its arm about to attack, but then stopped.

"Taylor!" Steve grabbed the robot tossing it to her and Taylor blasted its head apart with a strike of fire and blast of ice destroying it. Tony finally managed to take his out with the silver spikes jabbed into its neck leaving them with one more.

"Cap!" Clint called out throwing him his shield which he caught and threw slicing the last robot in half.

"That was dramatic." Ultron commented. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well, you just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" He picked up the head of one of the dead robots crushing it and tossing it to the side. "Look at these…these puppets. There's only one path to peace, the Avengers Extinction."

Thor threw his hammer smashing Ultron to pieces then calling his hammer back to his hand as the robot shut down.

"I had strings, but now I'm free." Ultron sang out before he left.

-0-

"All of our work is gone; Ultron cleared us out and used the Internet as an escape route." Banner told them once they had all gathered in the labs, Stark and Banner looking through their computers.

"Ultron." Steve echoed.

"He's been in everything, files, surveillance, probably knows more about us than we know about each other." Natasha said looking away from the computer.

"He's in your files, he's in the internet…" Rhodey said. "What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"

"Like nuclear codes." Maria said.

"Look we need to make some calls, assuming we still can." Rhodey said.

"Nukes, he said he wanted us dead." Taylor scoffed.

"He didn't say he wanted us dead, he said extinct." Steve corrected her.

"He also said he killed somebody." Taylor pointed out.

"There wasn't anyone else in the building." Maria replied.

"Yes there was." Tony said as he walked up and using his phone called up a projection of what was left of JARVIS. Everyone looked on in shock and horror as Banner walked up to it.

"This is insane." Bruce breathed out.

"JARVIS was the first line of defense." Steve said looking down.

"He could shut Ultron down, makes sense." Tony said, tense.

"No, Ultron could have assimilated JARVIS, this isn't strategy this is…rage." Banner shook his head as Thor in full armor strode up to Tony grabbing him by his throat and lifting him into the air.

"Come on, use your words buddy." Tony choked out.

"I have more than enough words to describe you Stark." Thor replied.

"Thor, put him down." Taylor grabbed his arm with a sharp look. "Things have happened and are happening, blaming isn't helping."

Thor reluctantly complied, dropping the billionaire to the ground.

"Thor, the legionnaire?" Steve demanded.

"The trail went cold about a hundred miles north…" Thor glared at Tony who was rubbing his throat. "…and it had the scepter, now we have to retrieve it again."

"Genies out of that bottle, clear and present is Ultron." Natasha said.

"I don't understand, you built this program." Cho looked to Tony. "Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony shook his head and started to laugh while Banner try to get him to stop, shaking his head while glancing around at the others then back to Tony.

"You think this is funny?" Thor demanded.

"No, it's probably not." Tony turned around. "Is this terrible…is it so…it is…."

"This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you didn't understand." Thor said, his anger mounting.

"No, I'm sorry, it is funny, it is a coup that you don't get why we need this." Tony walked right up to Thor.

"Tony maybe this might not be the best time to…" Bruce tried.

"Really, that's it?" Tony turned to him. "You just roll over and show your belly every time somebody snarls?"

"Only when I've created a murder bot." Bruce replied bluntly.

"We didn't, we weren't even close to an interface?" Tony asked.

"Well you did something right." Taylor commented with a cock of her head and gesturing to the room. "And you did it right here."

"The Avengers were supposed to be different from SHIELD." Steve stepped in.

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a worm hole?" Tony asked.

"No, it's never come up." Rhodey replied shaking his head then looked to Taylor who was standing next to him. "You?"

"I was out of the country." Taylor shrugged, crossing her arms.

"Saved New York." Tony went on.

"I never heard that." Rhodey said.

"Recall that?" Tony asked.

"Must have slipped my mind." Taylor rolled her eyes.

"A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space and we're standing three hundred feet below it. We can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but that up there, that's the end game, how were you guys planning on beating that?" Tony asked and now they all understood.

"Together." Steve replied.

"We'll lose." Tony said.

"Then we'll do that together to." Steve said then turned to the others. "Thor's right, Ultrons calling us out and I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The worlds a big place, let's start making it smaller."

Taylor walked over to where Tony was staring down at a computer while the others started to try and find Ultron. Tony glanced at her before looking away, staring intently at the screen

"You got an inspiring speech to?" Tony asked with a bit of bite.

"I'm sorry for your loss Tony." Taylor said glancing over at the remnants of the AI as she place a hand on his arm. "He was more than just an AI to all of us, he was a great friend."

"Thanks Taylor." Tony gave her a small smile. Taylor nodded leaving him to his work while she went to help elsewhere.


	4. Chapter 4

They had finally located Ultron and flew in landing not too far away from the tanker in which he was currently at. They left Bruce in the jet as back up in case they needed the Hulk, but also wanted to keep him as a desperate last resort. They took up their positions and headed in, hearing Ultrons angry voice and following it to him.

"Don't compare me with Stark, he's a sickness." Ultron snapped.

"Aw junior, you're going to break your old man's heart." Stark commented as he landed in front Ultron and the twins, flanked by Thor, Taylor, and Steve.

"If I have to." Ultron replied as he turned to face them, the twins moving around to get a better view of Stark. Natasha and Barton were making their way down the halls getting into position.

"Do you have to break anything?" Thor questioned.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet." Ultron smarted off.

"He beat me by one second." Stark commented.

"Ah, this is funny Mr. Stark, it's what? Comfortable?" Pietro stepped forward followed by his sister, looking to the stockpiles of weapons, many of them Stark Industries. "Like old times?"

"This was never my life." Stark replied.

"You two can still walk away from this." Steve stepped forward.

"Oh we will." Wanda shot him a look.

"Look, I know you suffered…" Steve tried, but Ultron cut him off with a sarcastic laugh.

"Captain America, God's righteous man." Ultron scoffed. "Pretending you can live without war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but…"

"If you believe in peace, then let us keep it." Thor tried.

"I believe you're confusing peace with quiet." Ultron replied.

"Uh huh, what's the vibranium for?" Stark asked.

"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan." Ultron reached forward using his power pulling Stark forward while two more robots jumped down attacking Steve and Thor.

Ultron blasted Tony back into a wall then the two charged at each other taking off into the air. Thor slammed one of the robots into the ground just a Pietro took off slamming into the Asgardian causing him to stumble.

"I got him." Taylor said as she took off after the speedster, her fire propelling her through the air like a rocket.

Then soldiers started to pour in opening fire on everyone. Natasha started to use her combat skills while Barton picked them off with his arrows.

Taylor moved rapidly through the air trying to pinpoint and keep up with the male twin who was ducking through obstacles with ease. He sped by Steve punching him in the face. Grinding her teeth she dug deep pouring on the speed only for Pietro to grab onto Thor's hammer which of course pulled him along with it down into some barrels.

Thor called his hammer back to him and with Steve's help took out more of Ultron's robots and the soldiers. Pietro made to get up, but Taylor raced forward ramming into him with both feet forcing him back down then froze his feet to the ground.

"Stay down." Taylor glared at the dazed boy then took off back to Thor and Steve, punching the crap out of anyone not an avenger.

"Thor, status?" Steve called out.

"The girl tried to warp my mind, but take special care, I doubt a human can keep her at bay, fortunately I am mighty." Thor said before he went silent. Steve was slammed back by Pietro and with a flick of her hand Wanda infiltrated his mind.

"Steve, I don't think Thor was mighty enough." Taylor called out, but received no answer. "Steve?" Wanda took out the soldier. "Natasha?" Wanda came up behind the assassin. Taylor then saw Pietro racing for her and held up her hands circular golden spells illuminating in front of them so when he attacked she was able to hold her ground. "What have you done to my friends?!"

"They will be fine if not a little more wiser for their troubles." Pietro stopped much to close for her comfort. She moved to attack only for him to move behind her pinning her arms to her back.

"Release me." Taylor growled. "Or I will roast you."

"You're on the wrong side." Pietro said into her ear causing goosebumps to erupt along her skin.

"I am not the one purposefully putting people in danger." Taylor roared summoning up her fire forcing Pietro to let her go.

"You and your so called friends have put more than enough in danger." Pietro replied as he started to dodge her blows of fire and ice.

"We have never put anyone in danger, we only protect them from danger." Taylor shot back. "The real question it why do you put them in danger and is it worth it?" Taylor looked to him, their gazes meeting, then sensing something behind her whirled around just in time to come face to face with Wanda. "Ah crap."

Taylor fell over to the side her eyes blazing red, Pietro surprising Wanda when he caught her gently lowering her to the ground, but there was no time to question him as there was one more Avenger to deal with. Barton looked out over the facility then spun around jamming an electric arrow onto Wanda's head causing her to go into a seizure.

"Yeah, I did the whole mind control thing, not a fan." Barton said only to be thrown back by Pietro who grabbed Wanda and ran off. Barton groaned rolling over onto his side watching as they raced away. "Yeah, you better run."

-0-

The ride was quiet, everyone wrapped up in their own nightmares. Steve sat stiffly, his eyes distant and far away in deep thought. Taylor couldn't sit still to save her life and had taken to pacing as she tried to fend off the memory of the dark day the Ancient One found her. She clutched her right arm to herself rubbing her wrist with a pensive look.

Bruce was curled up in a ball wrapped in a blanket, Thor was worrying his hands also unable to sit, Nat had hardly blinked as she sat starring, Tony sat behind the pilots seat in guilt, and Clint was the only one unaffected by Wanda and had taken over flying the jet.

"The news is loving you guys, no one else is though." Hill told them over the comm. "There's been no official call for Banners arrest, but it's in the air."

"Stark relief foundation?" Tony asked.

"Already on the scene." Hill replied. "How's the team?"

"Everyone's…we took a hit, we'll shake it off." Tony answered stiffly.

"Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode." Hill told them. "And stay away from here."

"So run and hide." Tony leaned forward.

"Until we can find Ultron I don't have a lot else to offer." Hill said in regret.

"Neither do we." Tony said before turning off the comm and walking up to Clint. "Hey, you want to switch out?"

"No, I'm good." Clint replied. "If you want to get some sleep now is a good time, we're still a few hours out."

"A few hours out from where?" Tony asked.

"A safe house." Clint replied.

-0-

Later that morning Clint landed the jet outside a scenic looking two story farmhouse complete with barn. They all filed out of the jet and started toward the home taking in the cast countryside.

"What is this place?" Thor asked as they walked up the stairs to the large porch.

"Safe house." Tony replied.

"Let's hope." Clint said as he opened the front door allowing them all inside leading them all into the living room. "Honey, I'm home." A very pregnant woman came into the living room pausing as soon as she saw them all. "Hi…company, sorry I didn't call ahead."

Clint and the woman kissed much to the surprise of all the avengers.

"Wait, what?" Taylor said in shock.

"She's an agent of some kind." Tony said glancing to the others.

"Everyone, this is Laura." Clint introduced them to the pregnant woman.

"Hi." Laura smiled widely. "I already know who all of you are."

"Tony, I don't think she's an agent." Taylor commented, looking to some pictures here and there. They depicted a very family lifestyle if the kids in the pictures were anything to go by, not to mention all of the toys and drawings that littered the room.

"Well what else could she be?" Tony asked in denial.

"Oh, incoming." Clint said with a grin as a little girl and older boy ran into the room and straight into Clint's arms.

"These are…smaller-agents." Tony said as Clint hugged his kids close.

"Did you bring aunty back?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out." Natasha smiled as they girl ran over to her jumping into her arms.

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve said.

"Yeah we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony added.

"Yeah, Fury helped me set this up when I joined, kept it off SHIELDS files and I'd like to keep it that way." Clint said. "I figure it's a good place to lay low."

"I missed you and little Natasha." Nat said as she felt Laura's belly while Thor stepped to the side smashing a toy house in the process. Steve and Taylor looked down then back up to the Prince as he swept the toy under the coffee table with his foot.

"Well he's little Nathaniel." Laura corrected her and Nat's face fell before she leaned down eye level with the unborn baby.

"Traitor." Natasha grumbled. Clint's little girl walked straight up to Thor and started to stare up at him.

"Say hi." Taylor nudged Thor in the side

"Hello…" Thor tried to smile, but seemed to have a brief spark of pain as his brows furrowed. Shaking his head he quickly walked past the child and out the front door, Steve following and Taylor watching.

"Thor." Steve called out.

"I saw something in that dream." Thor said walking down the stairs. "I need answers, I won't find them here."

With a swing of his hammer he shot off into the air away from the farmhouse. Steve watched him go before turning to head back in only to stop short, hearing something from his nightmare. He glanced through door to the living room before turning and quickly walking away. Taylor walked to the door watching him go before sighing and returning to the living room.


	5. Chapter 5

They had finally located Ultron and flew in landing not too far away from the tanker in which he was currently at. They left Bruce in the jet as back up in case they needed the Hulk, but also wanted to keep him as a desperate last resort. They took up their positions and headed in, hearing Ultrons angry voice and following it to him.

"Don't compare me with Stark, he's a sickness." Ultron snapped.

"Aw junior, you're going to break your old man's heart." Stark commented as he landed in front Ultron and the twins, flanked by Thor, Taylor, and Steve.

"If I have to." Ultron replied as he turned to face them, the twins moving around to get a better view of Stark. Natasha and Barton were making their way down the halls getting into position.

"Do you have to break anything?" Thor questioned.

"Clearly you've never made an omelet." Ultron smarted off.

"He beat me by one second." Stark commented.

"Ah, this is funny Mr. Stark, it's what? Comfortable?" Pietro stepped forward followed by his sister, looking to the stockpiles of weapons, many of them Stark Industries. "Like old times?"

"This was never my life." Stark replied.

"You two can still walk away from this." Steve stepped forward.

"Oh we will." Wanda shot him a look.

"Look, I know you suffered…" Steve tried, but Ultron cut him off with a sarcastic laugh.

"Captain America, God's righteous man." Ultron scoffed. "Pretending you can live without war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but…"

"If you believe in peace, then let us keep it." Thor tried.

"I believe you're confusing peace with quiet." Ultron replied.

"Uh huh, what's the vibranium for?" Stark asked.

"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan." Ultron reached forward using his power pulling Stark forward while two more robots jumped down attacking Steve and Thor.

Ultron blasted Tony back into a wall then the two charged at each other taking off into the air. Thor slammed one of the robots into the ground just a Pietro took off slamming into the Asgardian causing him to stumble.

"I got him." Taylor said as she took off after the speedster, her fire propelling her through the air like a rocket.

Then soldiers started to pour in opening fire on everyone. Natasha started to use her combat skills while Barton picked them off with his arrows.

Taylor moved rapidly through the air trying to pinpoint and keep up with the male twin who was ducking through obstacles with ease. He sped by Steve punching him in the face. Grinding her teeth she dug deep pouring on the speed only for Pietro to grab onto Thor's hammer which of course pulled him along with it down into some barrels.

Thor called his hammer back to him and with Steve's help took out more of Ultron's robots and the soldiers. Pietro made to get up, but Taylor raced forward ramming into him with both feet forcing him back down then froze his feet to the ground.

"Stay down." Taylor glared at the dazed boy then took off back to Thor and Steve, punching the crap out of anyone not an avenger.

"Thor, status?" Steve called out.

"The girl tried to warp my mind, but take special care, I doubt a human can keep her at bay, fortunately I am mighty." Thor said before he went silent. Steve was slammed back by Pietro and with a flick of her hand Wanda infiltrated his mind.

"Steve, I don't think Thor was mighty enough." Taylor called out, but received no answer. "Steve?" Wanda took out the soldier. "Natasha?" Wanda came up behind the assassin. Taylor then saw Pietro racing for her and held up her hands circular golden spells illuminating in front of them so when he attacked she was able to hold her ground. "What have you done to my friends?!"

"They will be fine if not a little more wiser for their troubles." Pietro stopped much to close for her comfort. She moved to attack only for him to move behind her pinning her arms to her back.

"Release me." Taylor growled. "Or I will roast you."

"You're on the wrong side." Pietro said into her ear causing goosebumps to erupt along her skin.

"I am not the one purposefully putting people in danger." Taylor roared summoning up her fire forcing Pietro to let her go.

"You and your so called friends have put more than enough in danger." Pietro replied as he started to dodge her blows of fire and ice.

"We have never put anyone in danger, we only protect them from danger." Taylor shot back. "The real question it why do you put them in danger and is it worth it?" Taylor looked to him, their gazes meeting, then sensing something behind her whirled around just in time to come face to face with Wanda. "Ah crap."

Taylor fell over to the side her eyes blazing red, Pietro surprising Wanda when he caught her gently lowering her to the ground, but there was no time to question him as there was one more Avenger to deal with. Barton looked out over the facility then spun around jamming an electric arrow onto Wanda's head causing her to go into a seizure.

"Yeah, I did the whole mind control thing, not a fan." Barton said only to be thrown back by Pietro who grabbed Wanda and ran off. Barton groaned rolling over onto his side watching as they raced away. "Yeah, you better run."

-0-

The ride was quiet, everyone wrapped up in their own nightmares. Steve sat stiffly, his eyes distant and far away in deep thought. Taylor couldn't sit still to save her life and had taken to pacing as she tried to fend off the memory of the dark day as she called it.

Bruce was curled up in a ball wrapped in a blanket, Thor was worrying his hands also unable to sit, Nat had hardly blinked as she sat starring, Tony sat behind the pilots seat in guilt, and Clint was the only one unaffected by Wanda and had taken over flying the jet.

"The news is loving you guys, no one else is though." Hill told them over the comm. "There's been no official call for Banners arrest, but it's in the air."

"Stark relief foundation?" Tony asked.

"Already on the scene." Hill replied. "How's the team?"

"Everyone's…we took a hit, we'll shake it off." Tony answered stiffly.

"Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode." Hill told them. "And stay away from here."

"So run and hide." Tony leaned forward.

"Until we can find Ultron I don't have a lot else to offer." Hill said in regret.

"Neither do we." Tony said before turning off the comm and walking up to Clint. "Hey, you want to switch out?"

"No, I'm good." Clint replied. "If you want to get some sleep now is a good time, we're still a few hours out."

"A few hours out from where?" Tony asked.

"A safe house." Clint replied.

-0-

Later that morning Clint landed the jet outside a scenic looking two story farmhouse complete with barn. They all filed out of the jet and started toward the home taking in the cast countryside.

"What is this place?" Thor asked as they walked up the stairs to the large porch.

"Safe house." Tony replied.

"Let's hope." Clint said as he opened the front door allowing them all inside leading them all into the living room. "Honey, I'm home." A very pregnant woman came into the living room pausing as soon as she saw them all. "Hi…company, sorry I didn't call ahead."

Clint and the woman kissed much to the surprise of all the avengers.

"Wait, what?" Taylor said in shock.

"She's an agent of some kind." Tony said glancing to the others.

"Everyone, this is Laura." Clint introduced them to the pregnant woman.

"Hi." Laura smiled widely. "I already know who all of you are."

"Tony, I don't think she's an agent." Taylor commented, looking to some pictures here and there. They depicted a very family lifestyle if the kids in the pictures were anything to go by, not to mention all of the toys and drawings that littered the room.

"Well what else could she be?" Tony asked in denial.

"Oh, incoming." Clint said with a grin as a little girl and older boy ran into the room and straight into Clint's arms.

"These are…smaller-agents." Tony said as Clint hugged his kids close.

"Did you bring aunty back?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out." Natasha smiled as they girl ran over to her jumping into her arms.

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve said.

"Yeah we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony added.

"Yeah, Fury helped me set this up when I joined, kept it off SHIELDS files and I'd like to keep it that way." Clint said. "I figure it's a good place to lay low."

"I missed you and little Natasha." Nat said as she felt Laura's belly while Thor stepped to the side smashing a toy house in the process. Steve and Taylor looked down then back up to the Prince as he swept the toy under the coffee table with his foot.

"Well he's little Nathaniel." Laura corrected her and Nat's face fell before she leaned down eye level with the unborn baby.

"Traitor." Natasha grumbled. Clint's little girl walked straight up to Thor and started to stare up at him.

"Say hi." Taylor nudged Thor in the side

"Hello…" Thor tried to smile, but seemed to have a brief spark of pain as his brows furrowed. Shaking his head he quickly walked past the child and out the front door, Steve following and Taylor watching.

"Thor." Steve called out.

"I saw something in that dream." Thor said walking down the stairs. "I need answers, I won't find them here."

With a swing of his hammer he shot off into the air away from the farmhouse. Steve watched him go before turning to head back in only to stop short, hearing something from his nightmare. He glanced through door to the living room before turning and quickly walking away. Taylor walked to the door watching him go before sighing and returning to the living room.

-0-

After getting cleaned up and slipping into a pair of borrowed black yoga pants coupled with a long sleeved purple shirt Taylor took a seat on the front porch. She had her bare feet propped up on the railing and was staring at the tree line arms crossed with a pensive look on her face, her hands moving automatically as they knitted a baby blanket of deep purple with black accents. She had made a rabbit for Clint's little girl along with pair of repulser gloves for Clint's son.

Steve had walked up to the porch from the forest having decided that he needed to come back after a walk to clear his head. When he saw Taylor he paused at the steps watching her for a moment. The way her hands moved yet her eyes remained far away starring at nothing was troubling.

"How you doing Taylor?" Steve asked softly.

"Horribly." Taylor said with a frown. "That girl….she really knows how to go for your weakest spot."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Steve asked.

"Do you?" Taylor asked glancing down at the blanket in hand.

"Taylor…" Steve stood next to her looking at her in concern.

"It was…it was when my brother and I were eight..." Taylor shifted uncomfortably setting the knitting aside. "Our mother had been ill with cancer for a long time and it was finally taking its toll on her." Taylor said and Steve nodded, remembering when Taylor had told her of the loss of her mother and her brother all in one night. "My family gathered round to say their final goodbyes, I still remember our grandfather coming to get my brother and I in her final moments." Taylor took a deep breath, willing her tears back. "Steve, there's something I haven't told you or the others. I didn't want to remember, I wanted to push it all away." Taylor ran her hands through her hair causing it to spike up. "My brother didn't just runaway that night, or just get kidnapped like I told you guys before."

"What happened to him?" Steve asked gently.

"The night my mother died he couldn't face it so he ran away, I went after him as soon as my mother was gone. I couldn't leave to run after him knowing she was about to…so I let him go." Taylor leaned forward so her elbows were resting on her knees and she clasped her hands together. "When I finally ran after him he was in the middle of this field not too far away from the Hospice and there was this massive ship hanging over him with blinding lights, then he was gone before I could even make it down to him."

"Taylor…I'm sorry." Steve sat next to her, tears streaming down her eyes. "Why didn't you say anything about the ship?"

"Back then, everyone thought I was nuts, that I had lost it because of losing my mother then my brother being kidnapped, that I had just snapped." Taylor said with a frown. "They tried psychiatrist, but that didn't end well so I ended up in juvie for a while not that my grandfather really fought it. Guess he just couldn't handle me anymore, don't think he even wanted to." Taylor scoffed crossing her arms. "I had become quite the hell raiser when I was a kid and the moment I turned eighteen I left, went out to explore the world, ended up finding more out about myself." Taylor rubbed her arms, thinking of her teacher. "It hurt so much, I lost my whole family except for my grandfather that day, but he didn't even want me." Taylor sighed, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "And to have to relive it all over again, to see my mom on that bed wasted away then losing my brother to that thing in the sky and everyone thinking I was crazy up until what happened in New York…" Taylor shook her head. "Sorry for spilling all of this on you. Yours can't have been much better." Taylor mumbled and felt Steve tense up. "Don't worry, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It was…strange, it was like a party from my time, but at the same time it was the war." Steve said as they started off over the landscape, hesitantly explaining his nightmarish vision. "Peggy was there, she said we could go home, but I can't…"

"Looks like we both have a lot to move on from." Taylor sighed heavily taking up her knitting again as Steve nodded, both of them sitting in silence lost in their memories.

-0-

Tony and Steve had taken to the wood pile, chopping it up for fire wood, of course they had far exceeded the amount that they would ever need. It had become more of an outlet for them.

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked as he and Steve chopped wood.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." Steve said pointedly looking to Clint on the porch with his family. "Kinda hoping Thor was the exception."

"Well, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." Tony pointed out.

"I don't know what she showed you, I just know it made you do something stupid." Steve said, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling at the mention of Alice and grabbed some more wood. "Earth's mightiest heroes... comes with a supply of cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away alright." Tony commented.

"Is that a problem?" Steve starred at Tony.

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned." Tony shrugged.

"Well let's just say you haven't seen it yet." Steve replied.

"Banner and I have been doing research..." Tony started to defend himself.

"That would affect the team." Steve cut in.

"That would END the team." Tony snapped. "Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the 'why we fight'? So we get to go home?"

In a fit of anger Steve ripped a hunk of wood apart with his bare hands letting the pieces fall to the ground as he turned to Tony.

"Every time someone times to stop a war before it starts, innocent people die." Steve said glaring at Tony. "Every time."

-0-

Taylor smiled as she caused snow to fall gently from the sky, Clint's kids looking on in amazement. With a sweep of her hand she covered a good space of ground in snow, the kids instantly running and jumping into it.

"This is amazing." The little girl smiled as she made a snow angel.

"I'm glad you like it." Taylor smiled, helping them make a snow man.

She glanced over to where Steve and Tony were having their discussion and let out a sigh. She twisted her hand around forming a snow ball throwing it up and down in the air a few times before throwing it smacking Tony right in the back of the head, another following smacking Steve in the face. The both turned to her with looks that the mage did not like so Taylor pointed to Barton's little girl.

"I did not!" She said indignantly.

"Taylor…" Steve said in his stern voice.

"Well you two are bickering worse than an old couple, mistakes were made, now we all need to cool down so…" Taylor grinned forming more snowballs with a wave of her hand, the Barton kids scooping them up. "Let's see if you got your father's accuracy."

The kids grinned as Tony and Steve exchanged wide eyed looks before diving for cover. It turned out that Clint's kids were dead shots and kept Tony and Steve pinned down pretty well. The fight went on for a time, Clint joining them while Natasha, Bruce, and Laura watched from the porch. It went on for a while before it was time for the kids to head inside to get cleaned up.

"We should have snowball fight more often, great for stress relief." Taylor smiled as she melted the snow away. "And less stress equals less quarrelling amongst ourselves and maybe now we can keep a level head to figure out what to do next."

"You're right, thanks Taylor." Steve nodded.

"We were not fighting, it was a…discussion." Tony shrugged.

"A pretty loud discussion." Taylor rolled her eyes. "Pretty angry discussion to."

"Sorry, Mr. Stark, Clint said you wouldn't mind, but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all." Laura said as she came over to them. "I thought you might…."

"Yeah, I'll take a look." Tony nodded as he brushed off the snow from his clothes and started to walk away to the barn pointing to his small pile of wood and giving Steve a stern look. "Don't take form my pile."

Tony walked across the grass and over to the large barn, ignoring Taylor's scoff at his pile of wood compared to Steve's. Stepping inside he was bombarded with the smell of old wood and dust. Everything was old and so different from what he was used to mechanically. With a deep breath he walked over to the large clunker of a tractor and started to fiddle with it.

"Hello dear, tell me everything." Tony said as he worked. "What ails you?"

"Do me a favor…" Fury said as he walked out from behind some stuff gaining Starks attention. "Try not to bring it to life."

"Ah Mrs. Barton, you little minx." Stark breathed out. "I get it, Maria Hill called you right, was she ever not working for you?"

"Artificial intelligence, you never even hesitated." Fury said as they approached one another.

"Look it's been a long day, like Eugen O'Neill long, so how about we skip to the part where you're useful." Tony said.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you're going to shut him down." Fury said.

"You're not the Director of me." Tony replied.

"I'm not the Director of anybody, I'm just an old man…" Fury took a seat on some hay bells looking up at Tony. "Who cares very much about you."

"And I'm the man who killed the Avengers." Tony said, struggling with his emotions. "I saw them…I didn't tell the team…I saw them all dead Nick, I felt it, the whole world to…I saw Vanessa…my little girl…she was…because of me. I wasn't ready, I didn't do all that I could."

"The Maximoff girl, she's working you Stark." Fury tried. "Playing on your fear."

"I wasn't tricked, I was shown." Stark interrupted him. "It wasn't a nightmare, it was my legacy. The end of the path I started us on."

"You've come up with some pretty impressive inventions Tony." Fury said as he stood up. "War isn't one of them."

"Watch my friends die, my baby girl…you think that'd be as bad as it gets." Tony said. "Nope, wasn't the worst part."

"The worst part was that you lived." Fury finished for him and Tony looked away unable to meet his gaze.


	6. Chapter 6

Needless to say everyone was pretty surprised, but then again not at the same time, to see Nick Fury walking with Stark from the barn that evening. They all gathered in the house to hear what the former SHIELD director had to say.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself some time." Fury told them as they mulled around the living room and kitchen. Clint's little girl ran through the room over to Natasha showing her the drawing she had done. "My contacts all say he's building something." Natasha praised her before showing it to Taylor who smiled at the drawing of a butterfly. "Considering the amount of Vibranium he ran off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked as Tony started to play darts.

"Oh he's easy to track, the guys everywhere." Fury said as he walked over from the sink with a mug in hand. "He's multiplying faster that a catholic rabbit, still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans."

"Still going after launch codes?" Tony asked throwing a dart.

"Yes he is." Fury answered. "But he's not making any head way."

"I once cracked the pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony scoffed.

"Well I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that." Fury said.

"Nexus?" Steve echoed.

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo, Norway, every bite of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth." Banner answered.

"So what did they say?" Barton asked.

"He's fixated on the codes, but they're being changed." Fury said.

"By whom?" Tony asked just as all of the dart were thrown right in front of his face hitting dead center of the board. He glanced over to Barton who shrugged with a smirk.

"Party's un-known." Fury answered.

"We have an ally." Taylor said skeptically.

"Ultrons got an enemy." Fury said. "That's not the same thing, still I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"Somebody needs to visit Oslo." Tony said. "Find our unknown."

"Well this is good times boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you that you would have more than that." Natasha commented.

"I do." Fury replied. "I have you." No one spoke. "Back in the day I had eyes everywhere ears everywhere else, you kids had all the tech you could dream of. Now here we all are back on earth with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says that the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission and whether or not he admits it his mission is global destruction." Fury gestured around. "All of this, laid in a grave. So stand, outwit the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Natasha commented with a fake pout.

"You know what Romanoff…" Steve shot her a fake agitated look.

"So what does he want?" Fury asked.

"To become better." Taylor answered with a glare.

"Better than us." Steve nodded. "He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies." Tony picked up as Bruce walked up to the table looking at the picture of the butterfly. "The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking we're outmoded, but he keeps coming back to it."

"If you programmed him to protect the human race than you have amazingly failed." Natasha commented.

"They don't need to be protected, they need to evolve." Bruce said picking up the picture of the butterfly. "Ultron's going to evolve."

"How?" Fury asked

"Has anyone been in contact with Hellen Cho?" Bruce asked and everyone went stiff. After attempting to make contact with the doctor and having no luck they decided their next move. They went their ways gathering what they'd need for their next mission, Steve and Tony off to the side discussing their plan of attack.

"I'll take Natasha and Clint, strictly recon." Steve gave out the orders.

"I'll hit the nexus and join you as soon as I can." Tony said.

"If Ultron's really building a body…" Steve trailed off.

"Then it will be more powerful than any of us." Tony finished. "Maybe all of us, an android designed by everyone."

"You know I really miss the day when the weirdest thing science ever created was me." Steve commented.

"Mind if I borrow Miss Hill?" Fury asked walking over to them as he pulled on his jacket.

"She's all yours." Tony replied. "Apparently…What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, something dramatic I hope." Fury smirked before he left. Taylor came down the hall tying her sash around her hips and checking that her bracelets were secure as well as making sure her sling ring was in her pocket.

"So, we got a plan yet?" Taylor asked as she came up to them, Bruce coming up as well.

"You're going with Tony as back up." Steve replied.

"Babysitting duty?" Taylor groaned.

"I know, but it's a cross I have to bear." Tony replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well let's get going." Taylor said slipping on her sling ring.

"Can you drop me off at the tower?" Bruce asked her.

"Sure thing." Taylor said as she formed a portal to the tower and Bruce stepped through.

"Good, I could use a change of clothes, I can't go to Oslo looking like this." Tony said stepping through the portal as well before Taylor could change it to Oslo.

"Really?! This is a time sensitive mission we don't have time for you to play dress up!" Taylor snapped only to be ignored. She turned shooting an annoyed glare at Steve. "You owe me."

Steve chuckled shaking his head as Taylor departed through the portal after Tony grumbling to herself.

-0-

After Tony had cleaned up Taylor took them to Oslo, workers in the hub slightly panicking when a portal suddenly opened up in their facility. They calmed right down upon recognizing the Avengers and allowed Tony access to their computers.

"A hacker who's faster than Ultron? He could be anywhere. And as this is the center of everything, I'm just a guy looking for a needle in the world's biggest haystack." Tony explained to Taylor as hub techs watched.

"So how do you find it?" Taylor asked as she watched him work.

"Pretty simple. You bring a magnet." Tony grinned before he started to playfully sing as he conducted his search. "Oh, I'm decrypting nuclear codes and you don't want me to." Tony grinned as he finished up. "Come and get me."

"Is that it?" Taylor asked as Stark's eyes widened.

"Yep." Tony nodded as Taylor's comm went off.

"What's up?" Taylor asked answering the call, her face going pale. "Got it, we'll meet you all at the tower."

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, noticing her stricken look.

"They got the cradle, but Ultron got Nat." Taylor said before putting on her ring. "Clint's bringing the cradle to the tower, we're meeting him there now."

"Does Bruce know yet?" Tony asked as the portal opened.

"Yes." Taylor replied as they stepped through the portal into the tower.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as the cradle arrived Bruce and Tony wasted no time in getting it hooked up and started to figure out what was going on inside. It was an impressive chrysalis for the being inside to be sure, but none of them knew what could possible come out of it.

"Anything on Nat?" Bruce asked as Tony came up into the lab where the cradle was being kept.

"Haven't heard. But she's alive, or Ultron'd be rubbing our faces in it." Tony remarked.

"This is sealed tight." Clint commented.

"We're going to need to access the program, break it down from within." Bruce said.

"Hm. Any chance Natasha might leave you a message, outside the internet, old school spy stuff?" Tony asked Barton.

"There's some nets I can cast. Yeah, alright. I'll find her." Clint nodded.

"Get a location and maybe hocus pocus here can go and get here." Tony offered.

"If you can get me a location I can project myself there and see what's going on." Taylor nodded. "Opening a portal into the middle of an enemy base might not be the smartest ideas."

"Sounds good, still weird, but good." Clint said with a nod.

"You two don't do anything stupid while we're gone." Taylor warned them, giving a significant look to Tony who rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. "And come get us when it's done."

Taylor and Barton went off and they gathered some old school communication devices. Barton set in front of them trying to get anything he could on Nat while Taylor stood behind him watching intently.

"Hey Taylor…" Tony's voice called out.

"What?" Taylor walked toward the stairs.

"There's a portal thingy opening up onto the balcony." Tony said and Taylor dashed up the stairs starring out onto the balcony just in time to see the Ancient One step through the portal.

"It's fine, it's just my teacher. I'll be right back." Taylor made her way out onto the balcony bowing respectfully to the Ancient One.

"Ancient One, it is good to see you." Taylor said

"And you Taylor, or should I call you Mage?" She commented with a small smile.

"That is not funny." Taylor's eye twitched. "Stark is an annoying man child."

"Indeed." The Ancient One smiled.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Taylor asked changing the subject.

"News of Ultron has reached us and I think you are in need of help." She commented as she held out a long object wrapped in cloth. "I think it is time you received your true relic."

"My true relic? What do you mean?" Taylor asked eyeing the cloth.

"Taylor, you are…different." Ancient One said.

"Different?" Taylor echoed.

"Yes, it was what first drew me to you, how I found you." The Ancient One said. "Inside you is something ancient, something not of earth."

"You mean…alien?" Taylor said hesitantly as she pointed up.

"Yes." The Ancient One nodded. "Your mother was of earth, but your father was of the stars and that is the reason I believe that the Hands of Ignis Glacium chose you, a kindred spirit."

"What do you mean?" Taylor looked down at her relics.

"The gems were separated from a spear in order to better control their power, the spear of Inlustris." The Ancient One informed her taking the cloth from the object revealing a strangely shaped knife of some kind with a long hilt sheathed in black leather accented with golden symbols. "Together with this relic they release the spell of the Starlight, a very powerful spell. And one I fear you will need before long."

"But my father…" Taylor looked back to the Ancient One gripping her hands together. "Do you know if he is still alive? Is he the one who came for Peter?"

"I do not know, and I'm sorry I kept it from you, but you have a great power within you and now is the time when you need to release it." The Ancient One said handed her the spear and Taylor removed it from its sheath.

It had a broad blade, two hand lengths long, and the hilt was inverted with a smooth curve to it. The blade was a gleaming almost glowing silver engraved with an eight point star on each side of the blade. The hilt of the blade was black leather inlayed with in intricate silver design that ended at the silver pummel.

As she took up the blade Ignis and Glacium lit up on her wrist before shooting from her cuff bracelets to the matching engraved spaces on the spear. The blade lit up in a red and blue light that changed into a blinding white before becoming muted.

"It feels amazing." Taylor said in awe as the flow of power moved through her.

"Use it well." The Ancient One said before opening another portal.

"You're not going to fight with us?" Taylor asked.

"There are events occurring right now Taylor, events that will need your attention after you are done here." She said looking back meeting Taylors gaze showing her how troubled she was.

"Is it him?" Taylor asked.

"It is, he has abandoned his teachings and taken others with him." The Ancient One said. "I fear what he searches for may bring dark days for us all. His leaving will be like the falling of small stones...that starts an avalanche in the mountains."

"You've been watching Lord of the Rings again." Taylor said with a small chuckle. "I will return as soon as I can."

"Be safe." Ancient One said with a fond smile.

"As much as I can in a war zone." Taylor bowed once more with a small smirk before the Ancient One stepped through the portal with an answering smirk as the portal closed. Taylor took a breath before stepping back inside eyeing her new relic, running her fingers over the designs.

"Teacher not going to stick around?" Tony asked as she walked over to the lab area.

"She had to return to the school, problems with one of the students." Taylor replied doing a few experimental spins with the spear. "Kaecilius always did think he knew better than everyone else."

"What is that?" Tony asked, glancing at her spear.

"The Spear of Inlustris." Taylor held out the blade horizontally and it grew to the length of a spear.

"Neat, what does it do?" Tony asked still moving around the lab with Bru ce.

"I have no idea." Taylor said with her eyebrows raised as she put it back into its sheath and strapped it to her back. "So how is the dismantling going?"

"Uh…" Tony trailed off. "Maybe you should go check on Barton, see how he's coming with finding Nat. Taylor eyed him for a moment before looking to a guilty faced Brace then back to the machines, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping. "Maybe he found her and is ready for you to…project."

"What the heck are you doing?!" Taylor snapped, Bruce avoided her gaze and Tony getting ready to defend himself. "You're supposed to be destroying it!"

"We know what we're doing Taylor." Tony assured her getting back to work with Bruce.

"And you knew what you were doing with Ultron! You don't put out fires with more fire!" Taylor ran her hands through her hair making it stick up wildly. "Why did I leave you alone?!" Taylor turned to Bruce. "Bruce what the heck man?! You're supposed to be the responsible one!"

"Taylor, please, this could really work." Bruce pleaded.

"No, no, no, no…you corrupted Bruce, come on man, Steve's going to kill us!" Taylor exclaimed.

"He's not going to find out anytime soon and by then we'll be done." Tony ignored her and that was when Steve walked in with the twins.

"I'm gonna say this once." Steve drew their attention.

"Steve, I can….what the heck!" Taylor moved her hands rapidly forming a spell over each fist, eyeing the twins distrustfully while sending Steve a concerned look.

"How about "nonce"?" Tony replied.

"Shut it down!" Steve ordered. "Taylor, stand down."

"Nope, not gonna happen." Tony said.

"I don't usually stand down in the presence of the enemy." Taylor ground out, her spells flashing as she glared at Wanda.

"You don't know what you're doing." Steve said, trying to reason with them. "And they're not going to hurt anyone Taylor."

"And you do? She's not in your head?" Bruce said with a glare at Wanda.

"How do we know she's not controlling you?" Taylor agreed with Bruce.

"I know you're both angry." Wanda tried making Taylor scoff her spells turning to into rings of fire around her hands.

"Oh, we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade." Bruce threatened while Taylor stalked up to them, only held back by Steve who carefully avoided her heated hands.

"Do you know I had to watch my mother die slowly of cancer and my brother being kidnapped all over again because of you!" Taylor pointed at Wanda who flinched back. Taylor pushed Steve's arm from her turning on him with a glare. "Why are they here Steve?!"

"Quill, Banner, after everything that's happened..." Steve tried and Taylor paced away from him extinguishing her hands and running them through her hair again in agitation.

"That's nothing compared to what's coming!" Tony broke in.

"You don't know what's in there!" Wanda stepped in.

"This isn't a game..." Steve said.

"Why are you even listening to them?" Taylor snapped.

"The creature...!" Wanda tried then Pietro rolled his eyes and used his speed to unhook all of the lab equipment bringing the conversation to an abrupt stop.

"No, no. Go on. You were saying?" Pietro said sarcastically then suddenly shot sounded out and Pietro watched as a bullet below came up through the glass he was standing on causing it to shatter. He fell through with the glass landing hard on the floor below at Clint's feet.

"Pietro!" Wanda called out fearfully making for the hole.

"What? You didn't see that coming?" Clint said sarcastically to the silver head speedster as he pressed his foot down on Pietro's leg so he wouldn't get away.

"I'm re-routing the upload." Bruce said when the machines started make a sound like a flat line.

Steve looked between Tony and Bruce making for the machines then threw his shield smashing all of the monitors before they could do anything. Tony called his suit to him, his glove arriving first allowing him to shoot Steve back. Wanda started to power up but Bruce came up behind her wrapping his arms around her neck stopping her.

"Go ahead, piss me off." Bruce practically snarled.

Tony's chest piece arrived as Steve went in for another attack, both of them getting blasted back shattering some glass. Wanda formed a red pulse shoving it through her chest hitting Bruce back. Taylor formed her spells charging at Wanda who tried to attack, but was deflected.

"You're good, but you have a lot to learn if your spells are ever going to have an effect on me again." Taylor smacked her back to the ground towering over her threateningly. Then Thor entered abruptly landing on the cradle holding his hammer aloft, the others stumbling back.

"Wait." Bruce called out. Thor ignored him, raising his hammer above the cradle calling his lighting to it before landing a charged blow on it. The powerful bolt of lightning super charged the systems sending sparks of blinding light everywhere, then all was quiet.

The cradle burst open and a red figure came out, the others looking on in stunned shock. The being looked around at them all, studying them then leapt at Thor. The Norse god grabbed him out of the air throwing him through a glass wall where he sailed across the living area coming to a hovering stop in front of the windows overlooking the city.

They ran into the room, Thor motioning for them to stay back as the being slowly took in the city then his own reflection before turning back to them. As he floated over to them a grey suit formed over his body clothing him.

"I'm sorry, that was...odd." The red robot said as he landed on the ground, his voice the perfect match to JARVIS. He looked to Thor with a nod. "Thank you."

"Thor, you helped create this?" Steve questioned as the being formed a yellow cape.

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at its center is that." Thor pointed to the gem inside Vision's head.

"What, the gem?" Banner asked.

"It's the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities." Thor told them.

"An infinity stone?! Are you crazy!?" Taylor snapped getting surprised looks from everyone, her hands going to her hair.

"You know what it is?" Thor looked to her.

"Yeah, and I know they're really dangerous." Taylor gave him a sharp look. "Why in the name of the multiverse would you bring it to life?"

"Because Stark is right." Thor said.

"Oh, it's definitely the end times." Bruce said worriedly.

"The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron." Thor told them.

"Not alone." The robot said as he walked forward.

"Why does your "vision" sound like JARVIS?" Steve asked.

"We...we reconfigured JARVIS' matrix to create something new." Tony said looking over the new creation as he walked over to him.

"I think I've had my fill of new." Steve frowned.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" The robot asked.

"You're not?" Steve asked back.

"I'm not Ultron. I'm not JARVIS. I am...I am…" He said looking to them all.

"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." Wanda said.

"Look again." He replied.

"Yeah. Her seal of approval means jack to me." Clint scoffed.

"Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side..." Thor told them.

"Is it? Are you? On our side?" Steve asked him.

"I don't think it's that simple." He replied.

"Well it better get real simple real soon." Clint warned him.

"I am on the side of life. Ultron isn't, he will end it all." He told them.

"What's he waiting for?" Tony asked.

"You." He answered.

"Where?" Bruce asked.

"Sokovia. He's got Nat there too." Clint answered.

"If we're wrong about you, if you're the monster that Ultron made you to be..." Bruce threatened.

"What will you do?" He asked.

"Take a wild guess." Taylor responded and as he looked to them all he realized they would destroy him.

"I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain." He looked away from them. "But that pain will roll over the earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net, we have to act now. And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster." He looked down at his hands as he went on talking. "I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me." He held up Thor's hammer and handed it to him. "But we need to go."

Thor took the hammer before the Vision walked away, everyone staring in shock.

"Right." Thor pat Stark on the shoulder. "Well done."

"Three minutes. Get what you need." Steve ordered and they all started getting ready to leave. Steve, Tony, and Taylor stood to the side discussing what was more than likely going to happen.

"No way we all get through this. If even one tin soldier is left standing, we've lost. It's gonna be blood on the floor." Tony commented.

"I got no plans tomorrow night." Steve shrugged.

"Nothing I can't record and watch later." Taylor leaned back.

"I get first crack at the big guy. Iron Man's the one he's waiting for." Tony said to them.

"That's true, he hates you the most." Vision said walking by, not even pausing in his stride.

"Ha, ha…" Taylor got dry looks form Tony and a slightly amused one from Steve. "Sorry…its just the delivery was…and he just walked on like….I'm going to go get ready some more."

Taylor wondered into one of the rooms that held their supplies of clothes and weaponry. She went to her locker which housed her back up uniform. It consisted of a high necked long sleeved black top that was long in the back reaching to her knees, a black leather hooded half jacket with the sleeves rolled up accented in gold, a pair of tight pants that tucked into black boots, a gold belt, and a pair of black wrist length gloves accented in gold.

She was sitting on the bench in her uniform just staring straight ahead taking in what the Ancient One had told her. To find out so suddenly that she was only part human and part something else not even of earth was a bit mind blowing. She wondered what her other part was, what did her father look like, was he even alive, and if he was, was Peter?

She was strapping on Inlustris when Wanda walked in pulling on a red leather jacket. She stopped short at the sight of the other woman, not really sure if she should leave or stand her ground.

"I…uh…I know it doesn't mean much…" Wanda wrung her hands noticing how Taylor tensed, but didn't turn to face her. "I am sorry about what I did to you, to all of you…I'm just…I'm sorry." Wanda let out a breath when Taylor remained still. "I'll let you get ready now."

Taylor let her walk away not saying anything as she contemplated the twins, weather they could be trusted. Steve seemed to think they were ok now, but Steve had a heart bigger then the ocean, usually only seeing the good in everyone.

But then again they were just kids still hurting from their loss, would she have done any differently if not for the Ancient One taking her in? She had been on a rampage and if given the abilities the twins were given without any of the guidance that was needed she was afraid to think of what might have occurred.

"Ultron knows we're coming. Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out." Steve told them and sent Pietro ahead to the police station.

"We're under attack! Clear the city, now!" He warned them, but no one takes him seriously so Pietro returned, taking a shotgun and started shooting in the air getting all of their attention. "Get off your asses."

Wanda used her abilities on the people of Sokovia to get them to evacuate through Taylor's portals, far away into the countryside.

"All they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today. But we can do our best to protect them." Steve said to them all as the quinjet cut through the air. "And we can get the job done, and find out what Ultron's been building. We find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we're monsters and we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right."


	8. Chapter 8

Taylor's concentration was broken, her portals closing as they were attacked by Ultron's army. Iron suits flew over them firing down on civilians as others remained on the ground causing even more havoc. Taylor drew her spear spinning it around cutting through one of the machines that jumped onto a car next to her and sent a stream of fire melting another to the ground.

"Go!" Steve yelled slamming his shield into another enemy.

"Get off the bridge! Run!" Wanda ordered as she was fired upon, casting up a shield of red she covered the civilians as they ran until she was hit to the ground. Taylor ran over to her stabbing another machine before it could attack her again.

"You ok?" Taylor offered her, her hand. Wanda hesitantly took it with a tight nod and Taylor pulled her to her feet just as the ground began to rumble. They struggled to maintain their balance to as they saw dust shoot into the air all around the city caused by giant cracks, then the city started to raise up. Taylor looked to Wanda who looked so scared and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here!" Taylor pointed to the civilians. "Protect them."

"Ok." Wanda said weakly, Taylor looking to Clint who was nearby and casting a glance to Wanda, the archer nodding to her before she took off back to where Steve was standing on the edge of the bridge as Sokovia was being destroyed.

"Do you see? The beauty of it, the inevitability. You rise, only to fall. You, Avengers, you are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword and the earth will crack with the weight of your failure. Purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me. It means nothing. When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal." Ultron's robots broadcast his monologue as the earth was shaking and falling around them.

Suddenly the machines descended on them, one of them flying straight into Steve hitting him into a car. Taylor ducked and dodged the others that followed, but was hit to the ground, rolling hard and coming to a sudden stop against some rubble.

"Cap, you got incoming." Tony said over the comm.

"Incoming already came in." Steve groaned as he rocked himself off of the car. "Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely." Steve went over to Taylor helping her up. "The rest of us have one job: tear these things apart. You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed, walk it off."

"Well let's make it happen captain." Taylor sent out an arctic blast freezing a group of machines midair sending them crashing to the ground shattering on impact. Steve blocked and beat back another robot that was coming up behind her, then sent out his shield slicing through others. Taylor whirled around stabbing the machine through its chest and her eyes doubled in size. "Steve! The cars on the bridge!"

"Keep them off my back." Steve ordered her as they ran for the bridge, Taylor doing as ordered as Steve went for the cars. Steve managed to grab the bumper of the rad car, but it broke off and the car along with a green one went over the edge, the occupants screaming.

Thor who was coming up to them managed to get to the red car grabbing hold of the woman whom he gave a reassuring nod before throwing her straight up into the air. Steve jumped over the edge holding onto some debris jutting out so he was low enough to catch her.

"I got you! Just look at me." Steve told her as Taylor leaned over the edge.

"Take hold of my hand." Taylor called out to the woman, stretching down with her hands outstretched, pulling the woman up to safety. "There we go."

Taylor took hold of the woman pulling her out of the way as another robot came at them. Steve threw his shield embedding it into the robot, but it still came.

"You can't save them all. You'll never..." Steve activated the magnet in his arm band calling the shield back along with the machine and threw it off the edge of the bridge.

"You'll never what? You didn't finish!" Steve called out sarcastically. Taylor sent the woman toward the other civilians before going over to Steve.

"That's just so rude." Taylor commented breathing hard just as the green car landed next to them, then Thor landed on top of it. "And where have you been?"

"What, were you napping?" Steve added as Thor walked off of the car, Steve and Taylor following him off the bridge as the occupants of the green car stumbled out.

The three battled back to back, Steve throwing his shield to Thor who struck it causing it to slice through multiple badies. Thor then leapt into the air striking down another into a gas truck causing an explosion that took out more.

"Thor! You're bothering me." Ultron growled as he shot down out of the sky grabbing up Thor. Taylor made to follow, but was grabbed herself by another robot and thrown to the ground. She scrambled to her feet about to attack the robot, stopping short when she saw what was in its hand, her sling ring.

"You're not going anywhere." He growled crushing it and aimed his gun hand at her, she barely blocked the shot with a spell shield then sent out a burst of fire melting it down.

"Taylor!" Steve ran over to her.

"He destroyed my sling ring. I can't make any more portals." Taylor growled out as they got back into the fight.

"Alright, we're all clear here." Clint said over the comm.

"We are not clear! We are very not clear!" Steve fought through the hoard.

"Duck!" Taylor called out throwing her spear which shot through the sky like a shooting star impaling robots until coming back to her hand. Steve looked to her with a raised eyebrow and she just shrugged, surprised as well. "New weapon."

"Alright, coming to you." Clint replied just as Pietro sped in, picking up Wanda and leaving Clint behind.

"Keep up old man!" Pietro called out over his shoulder. Barton held his arrow aiming it at Pietro's back.

"Nobody would know. Nobody." Clint muttered to himself before lowering his bow reluctantly before running after them. "The last I saw him, when Ultron was sitting on him. Uh...yeah, he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already."

"Clint, your comm is still on." Taylor grunted out as she formed a spell shield and back handed a robot in the skull crushing it. She let out a tired laugh when she heard Clint muttering in annoyance before ending the comm as Natasha joined them in their battle with the robots.

"Romanoff!" Steve called out throwing his shield at her taking out a robot that was about to take her out. She grabbed it using it to protect herself from another attacking robot, Taylor then thrust her spear forward blasting back the robots with a burst of white light giving Natasha room to maneuver.

"Thanks." Natasha called out as they continued to battle, Natasha using the shield then tossing it to Steve who caught it finishing off the robot. After a few more taken down tings started to slow down and they were given a bit of a respite which they used to get civilians to safety. There was a thick layer of dust in the air and everything was in ruins.

"The next wave's gonna hit any minute. What have you got, Stark?" Steve asked helping the injured inside one of the last standing buildings.

"Well, nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear." Tony answered.

"I asked for a solution, not an escape plan." Steve replied.

"Impact radius is getting bigger every second. We're going to have to make a choice." Tony told him.

"Cap, these people are going nowhere. If Stark finds a way to blow this rock..." Natasha started.

"Not 'til everyone's safe." Steve cut her off.

"Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math there." Natasha argued.

"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it." Steve said stubbornly.

"It's not so bad." Taylor commented getting a look from Steve and Natasha. "I mean, there's worse ways to go."

"True, where else can we get a view like this?" Natasha agreed as they looked out over the sea of clouds.

"Glad you like the view, Romanoff. It's about to get better." Nick Fury's voice came out over the comm just as the Helicarrier showed up breaking through the clouds.

"That is the most beautiful thing I have seen today." Taylor said with a grin.

Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do." Nick commented.

"Fury, you son of a bitch." Steve laughed.

"Oooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Nick replied.

"This is SHIELD?" Pietro asked as he came up to them, looking at the large aircraft in wonder.

"This is what SHIELD's supposed to be." Steve replied.

"This is not so bad." Pietro smiled.

"Let's load 'em up." Steve said and they went to the building gathering up the survivors and bundling them off into the lifeboats.

"Come on, this way." Taylor called out, picking up a child as a mother held her other and ran as fast as they could to the lifeboat.

"Thor, I got a plan!" Tony said over the comm.

"We're out of time. They're coming for the core." Thor replied.

"Rhodey, get the rest of the people on board that carrier." Tony ordered.

"On it." Rhodey replied.

"Avengers, time to work for a living." Tony said and made for the center of the town.

"Meet you there." Taylor looked to Steve.

"Be careful." Steve replied before Taylor shot forward into the air, spear in hand, and a blaze of white fire leaving a trail behind her. She soon made it to the center of the town pointing her spear forward as she rammed into the machines as she skidded to a stop in front of the church. Tony was already there with Thor and Vision, then they were joined by Pietro, Wanda, Clint, and Steve a bit of time later.

"You good?" Pietro ran up to his sister.

"Yeah." Wanda nodded.

"Romanoff? You and Banner better not be playing "hide the zucchini." Tony snarked over the comm.

"Relax, Shell-head. Not all of us can fly." Nat said using a truck with a bulldozer at the frond barreling through the debris and incoming robots. She came to a stop in front of the church joining the rest of the team. "What's the drill?"

"This is the drill. If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose." Tony pointed to the Vibranium core just as the Hulk came in followed by Ultron.

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor called out and at Ultrons gesture an army of his robots rushed forward far out numbering them.

"You had to ask." Steve said.

"This is the best I can do." Ultron said. "This is what I wanted, all of you against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"

"Well, like the old man said…together." Tony said sharing a look with Steve before the machines attacked and they all sprang into action.

Taylor was a blaze of fire, a torrent ice, and a beam of light, ripping through the robots with her abilities. She formed a spell disc and sent it flying through the air slicing robots apart, controlling its movements with her will. She formed the energy whip pulling robots out of the air and into the paths of attack from her team members. Taking out her spear she moved it intricately forming multiple spell seals then jamming her spear down by the pummel fired them off hitting multiple targets.

Then together with Thor, Vision, and Tony combined their fire power, Vision from the stone on his head, Thor with his lightening, Tony with his repulsers, and Taylor releasing the full brunt of her staff's star power melting Ultron apart. Once he was almost to the ground the ceased fire allowing him to stand up although pieces of him were melted away and falling off of him.

"You know with the benefit of hindsight…" Ultron was dealt a devastating upper cut from Hulk sending him back through the sky.

"They'll try to leave the city." Thor said as the machines started to make a run for it.

"We can't let 'em, not even one. Rhodey!" Tony called out.

"I'm on it." Rhodey opened fire on the approaching robots as they flew off the island. "Oh, no, I didn't say you could leave. War Machine, comin' at you, right ..." Rhodey took out a few only for the rest to be taken out by the Vision helping to destroy the robots. "Okay, what?"

"We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin." Steve stood tall. "You guys get to the boats, Taylor and I will sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it. It's my job." Wanda replied and they all left back out into the city leaving the twins behind. Steve ran through the city with Taylor taking to the air gathering any survivors they came across and taking them to the life boats.

"Is this the last of them?" Taylor asked as they were once again on the edge of the city.

"Yeah. Everyone else is on the carrier." Steve nodded.

"We're ready to go." Taylor breathed out.

"You know, if this works, we maybe don't walk away." Tony said seriously.

"Maybe not." Thor agreed, but Taylor was not paying attention to them as she let out a terrified shriek.

"Clint!" Taylor ran as fast as she could, but she would not make it, not first anyway. Barton held the boy close with a resolute look on his face. He turned his back on the gun shots shielding the boy with his body, but Pietro intervenes taking the shots to save them.

"You didn't see that coming." Pietro fell to the ground dead just as Taylor skidded to a stop next to him.

She kneeled down quickly checking his pulse as Steve joined them, him and Barton looking to Taylor looked up shaking her head, tears in her eyes. Barton picked up the boy and safely delivered him to his sister on the lifeboat while Steve carried Pietro on, laying him gently on the ground of the ship.

Taylor and Steve walked to the edge of the lifeboat starring out over the desolation, the suddenly the engines lifting the city shut down causing it to free fall. Steve grabbed hold of Taylor jumping onto the lifeboat barely making it as the city plummeted down.

"Thor, on my mark." Thor brings on a blast of lightning. "Now!" Thor used his hammer to hit the Vibranium core in the church, destroying the core and the floating city while Tony blasted his chest repulser into the center of the machinery in the city. The city blew apart raining down large chunks of debris, Tony and Thor barely making it out, along with Vision who had gone back for Wanda.

-0-

Taylor shook her head with a laugh as she walked with Thor, Tony, and Steve through the halls of the Avengers new base. They had been having this argument all day, they just couldn't stand it, and it was hilarious to Taylor.

"The rules have changed." Steve said.

"We're dealing with something new." Tony agreed.

"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence." Steve commented.

"A machine." Tony nodded.

"So it doesn't count." Steve concluded.

"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer." Tony added.

"Right. Different rules for us." Steve said.

"Nice guy, but artificial." Tony said.

"Thank you." Steve smiled.

"Still a sentient being, who are we to define what is life and what is not?" Taylor questioned, having been egging them on and poking holes in their theories just for fun. This gave her many dry and annoyed looks from the two men.

"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply." Thor said as they made their way outside.

"But if you put the hammer in an elevator..." Steve pointed out.

"It would still go up." Tony agreed once again.

"Elevator's not worthy." Steve said.

"Elevators don't make choices either, Vision does, I'm telling you guys he is just as alive as you and me. The very definition of sentient life is the ability to perceive or feel things, Vision is capable of both of these things and more just like any other being." Taylor said with a wide grin gaining more annoyed looks.

"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours." Thor smiled in wistful amusement.

"Me to." Taylor grinned.

"Well, not if you both don't leave." Tony told them.

"I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..." Thor trailed off looking troubled.

"Triple Yahtzee?" Ton concluded.

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked Thor.

"I do." Thor said then clapped Tony on the back. "Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained."

"Thor, before you go, there is something you must know." Taylor glanced to Tony and Steve. "I know of another stone here on earth. We call it the Eye of Agamotto, I believe it to be the Time Stone."

"Is it safe?" Thor asked gravely.

"It is protected." Taylor nodded. "The Ancient One keeps it safe and none are allowed to use it, nor have they been able to. It has been dormant for a very long time." Taylor replied.

"Then guard it well." Thor said placing a hand on her shoulder, Taylor nodded in agreement.

"Taylor, if you know where something like that is, you should bring it here for…" Steve started.

"No Steve, to place even just two of the stones in one place would be foolish. It would offer to great of a threat. To be able to get two of the stones at once, no, they need to stay separated. Trust me on this one."

"She is right, is would be best if they were not together, the temptation may prove too much." Thor agreed and reluctantly so did Steve. "Now I must leave, a good farewell to you all."

"Tell Vanessa to visit her old man soon, been missing her and Rhea." Tony commented stuffing his hands into his pockets. Thor nodded and stepped back then in a blaze of light returned to Asgard which burned a circle in the grass he was standing on. "That man has no regard for lawn maintenance. I'm gonna miss him though. And you're gonna miss me. And we're going to miss Taylor. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears." Tony went on as they walked over towards Stark's car which pulled up to them on its own. "Womanly in Taylor's case."

"I will miss you both." Steve commented.

"Me to." Taylor nodded.

"Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, open placed for Rhea to run around in when she visits, hope nobody blows it up." Tony shrugged.

"Fingers crossed." Taylor held up her crossed fingers.

"The simple life." Steve nodded.

"You'll get there one day." Tony assured him.

"I don't know, family, stability. The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago. I think someone else came out." Steve said as Tony slipped into his car.

"Don't have to have a simple life to have a happy one Steve." Taylor replied.

"You alright?" Tony asked him.

"I'm home." Steve said as they sounds of the base filled his ears. Tony nodded and with one last goodbye sped off.

"If you need me I'm only a call away." Taylor started to open up a portal with her new sling ring.

"Sure you won't stay?" Steve asked. "Could use some help with the new recruits."

"Sorry Steve, I need to get back. Thor's right, something it coming and it's going to be big. We all need to be ready and I'm not just talking about the Avengers." Taylor said with a dark frown.

"Keep in touch." Steve nodded.

"Will do." Taylor stepped through the portal into an oriental looking room. With one last wave to Steve she closed the portal and Steve turned back to the base.


End file.
